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North Central Regional Library and Links to Literacy

Links to Literacy is the early literacy program that librarians throughout the NCRL branches use in their weekly storytimes. Links to Literacy is a program that teaches children the skills needed to begin to learn to read. The branch librarians model book-sharing techniques for parents during storytimes, so they can incorporate these ideas into storytimes at home. Join us at your local community library for stories, songs, rhymes and fun!

Early Literacy Skills that every child learns before reading:

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The process that children go through to learn how to send and receive verbal information. Learning and using new vocabulary is essential to language development along with learning how to follow and tell a story.

BOOK KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION

Understanding how books work – which way to hold a book, text reads from left to right and top to bottom, the parts of a book – cover, illustrations, and author’s name. The love of books and reading is appreciation for books.

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS

The ability to discern different sounds in a word is important for early literacy. Children must be able to recognize rhyming, letter sounds and syllables. Songs and nursery rhymes are wonderful for teaching phonological awareness.

PRINT AWARENESS

Understanding what print is – that the scribbles on a page mean something and that words are all around us.

ALPHABET RECOGNITION

Recognizing the shape of the letters of the alphabet and the corresponding sounds that go with those letters.

EARLY WRITING

Learning that one can express ideas through drawing, scribbling and writing which is learned by practicing and playing.

Tips for Parents of Preschoolers

YOU are your child’s first and best teacher! Share your enthusiasm and love of reading every day.

Make reading time a regular planned activity every day.

Children learn best when they are actively involved with the book being read. Ask your child questions as you read a book, e.g. “what is happening in this picture?”, “what do you think will happen next”. Any of the “wh” questions are great.

Help your child notice the words that are all around us. Point out words on signs, newspapers, cereal boxes etc.

Start early! Babies enjoy short periods of sharing a book and love to just “play” with board books.

Sing to and with your child – this fun activity teaches them that words can be broken up into parts or “syllables”.